Rock Art on Ambe Cliff in 360°

See a family portrait from ancient past

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The rock art on Tebing Ambe was first recorded in 2017

This cliff painting was reported by the locals to the rock art guide in 2017. Maros-Pangkep survey team explores the lead and proceeded to record the site.  

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Ambe Cliff at Maros

This cliff faces the Bulu Sipong 1 Cave, a paddy field and fish pond.

A moment when the survey team recording the Ambe Cliff site, Adhi Agus Oktaviana, 2018, From the collection of: Archaeological, Language and Literature Research Organization
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The main panel of Ambe Cliff

This panel contains only red pigment rock art. The cliff has variety of rock art paintings such as a dug-out canoe, boat with hull and mast, fish, bird, and human figures (a single, a couple, and a dancing group scene). 


The panel depiction suggests a celebration of people arriving from somewhere.

A bird figure facing to the left in Tebing Ambe, Adhi Agus Oktaviana, 2017, From the collection of: Archaeological, Language and Literature Research Organization
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Anthropomorphic motifs are marching at Tebing Ambe, Adhi Agus Oktaviana, Ryan Sebastian, From the collection of: Archaeological, Language and Literature Research Organization
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A couple at hull of the boat in Ambe Cliff, Adhi Agus Oktaviana, 2018, From the collection of: Archaeological, Language and Literature Research Organization
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Another couple of human figures at Ambe Cliff, Adhi Agus Oktaviana, 2018, From the collection of: Archaeological, Language and Literature Research Organization
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The detail of the red pigment in the rock art images in Ambe Cliff (Figure 1) indicates a hornbill bird, which is depicted facing to the right with the wings stretched horizontally. (Figure 2). The dancing scene of human figures, with detail in their hair and their individual images (Figures 3 and 4), is of a couple of human figures on a boat.

Imran pointing the upper panel of Ambe Cliff rock art by DominicArchaeological, Language and Literature Research Organization

Imran pointing to the main panel of Ambe Cliff

The panel condition panel is severely damaged from erosion, which will lead to the disappearance of rock art images in the future.

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The family picture on small chamber

This chamber contains three human figures holding hands with each other, depicted using the red color of hematite.

Three human figures at Ambe Cliff (2018) by Adhi Agus OktavianaArchaeological, Language and Literature Research Organization

A family on small chamber

Those three human figures are holding each other's hands with a stick on their hands. This style is similar to the images of human figures dancing scene in the main panel.

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The last panel of Ambe Cliff

This panel is located on the wall below the main panel, which contains black charcoal pigments of human figures, chickens, and other non-figurative images. A few shell fragment, bone fragment, and pottery fragment found on the ground surface of this site.

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The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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